Yes
by Tusk Of Thyme
Summary: Adult Charlie and Steven are traveling abroad together in Italy and Charlie...well...there's something he needs to say...


Steven woke up with a jolt. "Sorry," a pearly white smile in a tan face focused in Steven's hazy brown eyes "The road is a little uneven here," A kiss was pressed to Steven's yawning cheek. "Where are we?" Steven stretched, slipping an affectionate hand down Charlie's back. He sat up and looked out the passenger window to see a crisp blue sky that peeked between tall, sandy-coloured buildings that had been bleached by the Sun's kisses. Charlie smiled as he turned the blue, three-wheeled Rolo they had rented last week down an obscure alley. "Where are we going!" Steven whined as he tried to catch a glimpse of the beauty that had been shed behind him. "I wanted to see the canals!"

"You will, you will-" Charlie assured him with his eyes fixed on the road. "We just need to make a little detour…" This had been their first day in Venice, the weather was beautiful and the sun was high in the sky leaving alleyways shrouded in a light shade. Charlie hit his horn, aiming at the three little boys and their dog playing football in the street.

Meeks straightened himself and adjusted his glasses as he continued gazing outside. "Wow…it's amazing here."

The cobblestone streets looked up at the sky in their crooked smiles while the sun glinted off ancient windows that were webbed with stabilizing lines and reflected off the tarnished green roofs. The city was swimming with people and their lives. Natives shouted to each other across roads from the balconies of their homes. Wives and mothers could be seen beating out their carpets, girlfriends were being romanced by their significant others with roses purchased by doe-eyed gypsy children. Parents guided their little ones and encouraged them to sample local cuisine while the brown boys with whiskey eyes and a slice of heaven in their smiles played football through the streets, barefoot and laughing.

A couple snagged in the corner of Charlie's sharp eye. Two girls holding hands and it looked like blonde one with eyes Charlie couldn't see was kissing the brown knuckles of her girlfriend's hand. Charlie felt his stomach churn and his hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as he thought about what he planned to do today.

Charlie looked over to Steven; his eyes softened as he took his partner in. They had been moseying around Europe for a few weeks and Steven had ended up almost as tan as Charlie, the majority of his freckles hidden and his hair much brighter and wavier than usual. Most importantly, Steven looked _happy_ and it was simply infectious. Charlie found he was unable to tear away from the smiling lines of Meeks' face.

Charlie never understood how he had gotten so lucky to have Steven fall in love with him. There were times when Charlie was certain that he didn't deserve him at _all._ Even though Charlie had tried with all of his might to get rid of him so Steven could find someone who could treat him better, Steven had just refused to leave. In response, when ever Charlie left, Steven simply started a coaxing retrieval process that concluded in his arms after a dinner of mushroom soup and mashed potatoes.

It was obvious and clear that Steven wasn't going to budge from Charlie's side no matter what. That fact always made Charlie smile bashfully. Currently, he wanted to make sure that Steven knew how much Charlie honestly loved him.

Charlie drove, turning left out of the spider web roads and onto a main road that showcased the old architecture and thin, lanky buildings. "If you do not tell me when we will be out of this car so I can take photos, I may have to hurt you-!" Charlie stopped the vehicle abruptly, his heart in his mouth.

"Let's get some lunch, yeah?" Charlie suggested, his eyes flicked to and fro rapidly and Steven looked him over skeptically.

"…You feeling alright, Charlie?" Before any answer could be made Steven was checking his temperature.

"I'm fine I'm fine!" He insisted as he batted Steven away and frantically tried to undo his seatbelt. Steven kept insisting and finally Charlie gave in, laughing at the kisses Steven pressed all over his face.

"Wait no-can't leave yet, I missed-you could have a fever Charlie! I need to check!" They giggled before the laughter naturally tapered off leaving them panting and their foreheads pressed together. "I love you."

Charlie shut his eyes as he felt Steven's halo chakra on his forehead. How was it that three little words had such a profound effect? The energy buzzed between their skins as Steven shyly smiled. "I love you too," Charlie returned, "Want to go get some Gelato?"

They sat outside on metal grate chairs and matching tables. The stores that framed the café were alive and cheerful, potted flowers swayed in the trickle of a breeze. The waiter who had brought them beige laminated menus took their orders and ducked back inside.

Once again, Charlie was hypnotized by the sight of Steven all stretched out in a faded plum red wife beater and blue tinted lenses protected his eyes from the sun. "I like it when you wear my clothes…" Charlie started as Steven sat to attention with a playful smile.

"Oh _really_?" Steven encouraged as he leaned in ever so slightly with a coy expression. "So you _prefer_ me in your clothes as opposed to me, say….out of them?" Steven flirted smoothly as Charlie instantly started negating that question.

"I _never_ for a _second_ said I prefer you in my clothes as opposed to you out of them!" Charlie guffawed as Steven shrugged coyly and leaned away, drawing Charlie closer.

"You _never_ said you _didn't_ either," Steven teased, one of his sandaled feet nudged at Charlie's leg.

"Well I _prefer_ you with _no_ clothes," Charlie's seductive grin was interrupted by the server bringing them their drinks, Charlie had the decency to look embarrassed which elicited laughter from Steven.

"Geez Charlie, don't you know everything has it's time and place? Gosh!" Steven laughed again before he sipped on his Pellegrino and sighed in a content way as Charlie fell silent.

"Do you believe that?" Steven blinked at Charlie's question, curious what attributed to the sudden change of mood.

"Well…yeah, sure-I mean I guess so…sure, why not?" He smiled over as Charlie who had stood abruptly. Steven sat looking up at him quizzically.

"Let's uh…go get that Gelato now, huh? I saw a little stand in the square in front of the City Hall…" Charlie's chin fell to his chest briefly—where had all of his air gone lately? His heart was beating ever so quickly as he helped Steven to his feet and it only increased in its intensity as they walked towards the white dome of the City Hall.

"Charlie," He twitched as Steven touched his face with a creased brow. "Are you ok? You've been acting a little strangely today..."

"Yeah, I'm just as _normal_ as they come every other day." He flashed a winning smile that he hoped didn't belie his nerves as the reached the steps of the city hall.

"Lies. I don't see any Gelato." Steven had accepted what Charlie said and now scanned the perimeter for the stand that had been promised to him.

"Fine, you caught me," Charlie winced, knees cracking as he sat on the well-worn steps, "C'mere a second-no, down _here_, sit with me…I want to talk to you for a second." Charlie wanted to laugh at the curious expression Steven gave him before he adhered to the request and took a seat next to him. Charlie flipped his sunglasses to the crown of his forehead and then gently removed his boyfriend's in a gentle caress. "Look, Steven…" Where did he start? The ginger's attention was intently focused on him and now Charlie felt put on the spot.

He hesitated, and clutched Steven's hands, resting them on Charlie's exposed knees, he chuckled nervously, "I really don't know how to do this," He confessed as Steven's brow creased in confusion. "but…I don't know who I am when I'm not around you. You…give me everything," He could feel his throat start to constrict with emotions, terrified of rejection he still pressed on, squeezing those beautiful freckled hands for confidence, "I bit into you like an apple and ever since then you have infected me-here," hands covered his beating heart as he continued to stare into Steven's silent face, "And I don't know what I'll do if you ever leave me-and all I'm asking is for right now is the sixth word to my question." He hesitated only to be prompted by his solemn partner.

"What _is_ your question, Charlie?" The soft voice commanded a power that pressed Charlie to bravely continue.

With a slight nod to the city hall that sat right behind them,"Will you marry me, today?"


End file.
